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Apple: The Latest Tech Company to Pivot to Services
Apple’s recent announcements made it clear that it’s shifting to services, following in the footsteps of Amazon and Microsoft.
A few years ago, there was a fairly ubiquitous phrase that hovered over the world of Media. Whenever writers were let go or a publication announced a new emphasis on video content, the “pivot to video” was more often than not the reason (or culprit, depending on your perspective). This so-called “pivot” was one from written content to video content, and regardless of whether it was the result of media consumption trends or advertising, it was a signal of a shift in strategy, a signal not unlike the one Apple made recently.
At it’s March 25th “It’s Show Time” Event, Apple announced several new products, which is what usually happens as these gatherings, but what separated this event from previous ones was that no new hardware was announced. (New iMacs and iPads were announced in prior weeks.) There was Apple TV+, the company’s long-awaited Netflix competitor; Apple News+, a digital newsstand subscription; Apple Arcade, a game subscription service for mobile games; and the Apple Card, which is something in between a credit card and a rewards card.